Joanna Ramos, 11, Dies After School Fight
Joanna Ramos, 11, has passed away after a school fight friends say was over a boy.
The young girl took part in a planned after-school fight with a classmate she'd already had problems with, students say. Ramos engaged in a fight before going to an after-school activity, where she reportedly got sick before going home.
Once home she told family members she did not feel well and was taken to the emergency room, says her aunt, Patricia Catalan.
Doctors treated Ramos, who was unconscious and not breathing, and took her into surgery, though it is not known why. She was pronounced dead around 9:00 p.m. on Saturday. It is unknown what blows were exchanged between the two girls, but police are speaking to any and all students who watched the occurrence.
"They were fighting just for a boy. It's just stupid. I told the teacher and she said she'd talk to all the girls on Monday," Stephanie Soltero, Ramos' friend, told KABC news. That never happened, though, and the fight continued.
Now Ramos is dead and the questions are endless.
"We are still trying to put the pieces of this puzzle together," Deputy Police Chief Robert Luna told reporters at a press conference. "There are still many questions, many questions that cannot be answered."
Students have the opportunity to speak with counselors today at the school, and many have left mementos at a shrine outside Willard Elementary School. The story has gained nationwide attention and sheds new light into the lives of students who are bullied.
Margie Jimenez posted the question: "How do you have these issues so young?"
"It is hard to understand how this could ever happen," Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster stated, addressing the public. "All of us are anxious to get answers from the investigation in hopes that they will help us make some sense of this heartbreak."
Police are continuing the investigation and the coroner's report is expected soon. Based upon the investigation, police will determine whether to seek any charges in the case.
